Synchronized master-detail views

We regularly observe usage patterns reported by Orbeon Forms users. One pattern that comes frequently is support for what is traditionally called a master-detail view.

For example, you first enter a list of initial information (the master), as shown in the following screenshot.

"Master" view

Later in the form, for example in a subsequent wizard page, you complete the information (the detail) for each item of the list.

"Detail" view

Doing this until Orbeon Forms 2018.2 required writing very complex custom XForms code in the form, which usually required talking to the Orbeon support team. This is explained by the number of cases to handle: adding, removing, moving, iterations in the master grid, and also synchronizing values from the master grid to the detail view. Further, such custom code is hard to maintain and could break with new Orbeon Forms releases.

So with Orbeon Forms 2018.2, we are introducing a new synchronization component which does all of this declaratively and reliably. The component is maintained by Orbeon in new Orbeon Forms releases so you have peace of mind when upgrading.

We plan to add a user interface for this feature soon. In the meanwhile, it is easy to set this up by opening the Edit Source dialog and configuring the synchronization.

For more, see the documentation. We hope you will like this new Orbeon Forms 2018.2 feature!